Careers were once linear. Employees were expected to climb the “career ladder,” starting as an entry-level assistant, and working their way up to individual contributor, then to manager, etc., checking off an established set of skills and accomplishments along the way.Today, that structure has changed. A sales representative might become your best marketer, a marketer can become an HR leader, and HR leaders can find their passion on the customer success team.

As of 2021, <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2021.html">80% of CEOs </a> rank the need to teach their workforce new skills as their biggest business challenge; at the same time, research shows that opportunities for learning and development are one of the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/want-happy-work-spend-time-learning-josh-bersin/">top driving forces </a> behind an employee’s happiness and engagement at work. And yet, so often the way companies actually approach learning and development for their employees is inconsistent, one-size-fits-all, and comes from the top-down as part of an “upskilling initiative.”

Embracing employee-led learning

For many years, career mobility has often been more about who you know than what you know. Corporations have operated within established, hierarchical structures that encourage silos, and as a result, growth and opportunities often come only to those who are selected for them by someone higher up the chain.

Leveling The Playing Field

Employee growth is ultimately the biggest driver of organizational growth and innovation, and the cost is higher than ever for companies that neglect the growth of their internal talent: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-workers-quitting-quit-job-pandemic-covid-survey-monster-2021-7">95% of employees </a> are currently considering quitting their jobs, and a <a href="https://www.gloat.com/why-we-work/">survey </a>conducted at Gloat earlier this year found that the number one reason employees move on is a lack of growth opportunities. One-third (34%) of employees said their company wasn’t utilizing their full potential, and LinkedIn found that employees are nearly <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/state-of-the-manager-report">3X more engaged </a> when they see opportunities to learn on the job.

So how can businesses avoid getting left behind by their best talent, and support modern career development? By:<ol><li>leveling the (hybrid) playing field, and</li><li>embracing employee-led learning</li></ol>

Companies essentially (should) want their employees to truly own their careers, applying their skills to different areas of the business and developing new skills that align to their passions. It’s really about connecting them to their possibilities. That’s a win for everyone—employees grow, business needs are met internally and of course, customers benefit from working with teams whose diverse experiences unlock more innovative solutions to their most pressing challenges.

Career progression is no longer a straight line. In fact, employee’s career pathways are just as winding, unique and changeable as their lives will inevitably be. The companies that recognize that, and adapt to it, will be best positioned to thrive beyond this pandemic, and whatever comes next.

Companies should invest in new technologies and processes that give all employees visibility into emerging opportunities within the company, and the agency to pursue them. The dangers of companies sticking with an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach it that they might just lose their best people without even realizing their full potential. Employees must be engaged, no matter where they are.

CEO and cofounder of Gloat Ben Reuveni says careers are no longer ladders—they are lattices of vertical and horizontal opportunities, shaped by personal and professional aspirations, in addition to company needs.

In a world where disruption is the new norm, companies need to take thoughtful risks and move with urgency. That requires them to think differently about talent management. The real question becomes: How can we deploy the talents and skills of hundreds or thousands of people at scale and with speed?

COVID-19, and the global pivot to a more distributed workforce, has only increased the chances that an organization might miss out on developing key talent simply because of where they sit and who they interact with on a daily basis. If you’re more introverted, or you’re a field sales manager who is constantly out in the market, how you connect with growth opportunities may be different than how people walking around in the office hub access those same opportunities.

Just as career paths are becoming less linear, so, too, are the ways employees learn and develop new skills. Today, career development is complex, occurring across multiple mediums inside and outside of the workplace. It’s driven as much by employee passions and interests as it is by the parameters of their job description. Companies need to meet their employees where they are with dynamic, democratized, and data-driven growth opportunities, or they will not only risk their bottom line, but they will handicap their best talent as well.

CEO and cofounder of Gloat Ben Reuveni says careers are no longer ladders—they are lattices of vertical and horizontal opportunities, shaped by personal and professional aspirations, in addition to company needs.


Leveling The Playing Field

Careers are no longer ladders to climb. Here’s how to develop professionally instead

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